Campus Compact AmeriCorps Member Serving at College for Social Innovation
Cynthia Ordonez Salguero
Background
College for Social Innovation brings
together colleges and social sector
organizations to create fully credited
hands-on learning experiences that are
meaningful, accessible, and
life-changing.
Four key impact areas for our fellows:
● Confidence and Purpose
● Skills Employers Want
● Networks
● Post College Job attainment
Project Goals
Creating a variety of resources to support
our Fellows and ensure they are getting
the most out of their experience interning
and living in Boston.
● Creating key resources accessing
healthy food at affordable prices
● Streamlining communication to
effectively share resources
● Building a community of support
within the cohort, and exploring
Boston’s rich history,
contemporary life, and its cultural
resources while living on a
stipend through Community Life
events and more
Boston, MA
Anti Poverty Focus Impact Challenges and Barriers to Success
● Created and delivered over 30 ● Remote students had a more
care-packages with fresh fruits and challenging time accessing
vegetables from About Fresh and resources and getting the most
started a partnership out of their experience
● Created a guide for Fellows living in ● Having to juggle multiple
our Allston apartments to apply for competing responsibilities.
SNAP Benefits ● Planning events in advance to be
● Helped organize and recruit panelists able to give students notice
of nonprofit staff to share their
experiences in helping increase food
Takeaways and Recommendations
access and food security
● Build off the work done by
● Started a food pantry of over $400
community members and
worth of donated fresh fruits and
co-workers in your network
vegetables. Donated left-overs to
● Ask others for feedback, advice,
community fridges around Boston
best practices, and templates
● Before starting a big project set a
goal for yourself. This will give you
Capacity Building Impact a clearer picture of what you’re
Many college accredited internships and study away programs are costly for trying to accomplish
low-income students. Over 65% of CFSI Fellows come from underrepresented groups
such as those who are Pell Eligible, students of color and first generation students, COVID-19 Impact
● Created and published weekly newsletter go-to newsletters for Fellows ● Researching free to low cost
● Researched and source free to low-cost cultural resources, open cultural events in Boston was
positions/jobs and community life events difficult due to uncertainty.
● Utilized Signal Vine to share information, resources, wellness messages ● Supported the creation of
● Created a guide for hiring and onboarding Community Advisors, peer Community Meetings.
leaders whose role is to foster community and support Fellows ● Not able to create a job board for
● Supporting the Community Advisors (CAs) to implement 3 community life students
events to cultivate community and engagement
Background
College for Social Innovation brings together colleges and social sector organizations to create
fully credited hands-on learning experiences that are meaningful, accessible, and life-changing.
Four key impact areas for our fellows:
● Confidence and Purpose
● Skills Employers Want
● Networks
● Post College Job attainment
Project Goals
Creating a variety of resources to support our Fellows and ensure they are getting the most out of
their experience interning and living in Boston.
● Creating key resources accessing healthy food at affordable prices
● Streamlining communication to effectively share resources
● Building a community of support within the cohort, and exploring Boston’s rich history,
contemporary life, and its cultural resources while living on a stipend through Community Life
events and more
Anti Poverty Focus Impact
● Created and delivered over 30 care-packages with fresh fruits and vegetables from About
Fresh and started a partnership
● Created a guide for Fellows living in our Allston apartments to apply for SNAP Benefits
● Helped organize and recruit panelists of nonprofit staff to share their experiences in helping
increase food access and food security
● Started a food pantry of over $400 worth of donated fresh fruits and vegetables. Donated
left-overs to community fridges around Boston
Capacity Building Impact
Many college accredited internships and study away programs are costly for low-income
students. Over 65% of CFSI Fellows come from underrepresented groups such as those who are
Pell Eligible, students of color and first generation students,
● Created and published weekly newsletter go-to newsletters for Fellows
● Researched and source free to low-cost cultural resources, open positions/jobs and
community life events
● Utilized Signal Vine to share information, resources, wellness messages
● Created a guide for hiring and onboarding Community Advisors, peer leaders whose role is
to foster community and support Fellows
● Supporting the Community Advisors (CAs) to implement 3 community life events to cultivate
community and engagement
Challenges
● Remote students had a more
challenging time accessing resources
and getting the most out of their
experience
● Having to juggle multiple competing
responsibilities.
● Planning events in advance to be able
to give students notice
Takeaways
● Build off the work done by community
members and co-workers in your network.
● Ask others for feedback, advice, best
practices, and templates
● Before starting a big project set a goal for
yourself. This will give you a clearer picture
of what you’re trying to accomplish
COVID-19 Impact
● Researching free to low cost cultural events in Boston was difficult due to uncertainty.
● Supported the creation of Community Meetings.
● Not able to create a job board for students